Leopardpaw's Journey
by Skyy Autumn
Summary: A young apprentice, Leopardpaw, has a lot to learn, but an omen haunts her. 'She will be great: greater than all of the Clans combined, but her destiny will be shaken. Lightning will strike her heart, flames will claw her pelt, and water will steal her.'
1. Alligences

**Allegiances**

**SunClan**

**Leader: **

Skystar – grey tom with blue eyes

**Deputy: **

Moonpelt – white she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice: **Sunpaw

**Medicine Cat: **

Mossfur – blue-grey tom with orange eyes

**Warriors:**

Mistystripe – grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Owleyes – brown she-cat with amber eyes

Grasslegs – black tom with one white leg and brown eyes

Brokenclaw – scarred pale tabby tom with a broken tail and blue eyes

Goldenstorm – golden she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice: **Whitepaw

Runningfoot – white tom with black paws and light blue eyes

Tigerwhisker – dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

Ashcloud – scarred grey she-cat with black flecks and orange eyes

Scorchfang – tortoiseshell tom with blue eyes

Dovefeather – scarred white she-cat with light blue eyes

Mousenose – brown she-cat with amber eyes

Torntail – red-brown tom with a torn tail and blue eyes

**Apprentices:**

Sunpaw – golden tabby tome with orange eyes

Whitepaw – white she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens: **

Blackears – grey she-cat with black ears and paws and brown eyes

**Kits: **

Rainkit – blue-grey she-cat with light blue blind eyes

Rockkit – bulky grey tom with green eyes

Flowertail – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Kits:**

Foxkit- ginger tabby tom with green eyes

Leopardkit- unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Elders:**

Thunderscar – scarred pale tabby tom with blue eyes

**IceClan**

**Leader:**

Hawkstar – light brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Deputy:**

Fangpelt – white and tan tabby tom with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:**

Morningsky – light brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice: **Embertail

**Warriors:**

Eaglewind – dark brown tabby she-cat with orange eyes

Brokentalon – scarred grey tom with brown eyes

**Apprentice: **Greypaw

Kestrelheart – light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Cinderpool – dark grey tabby she-cat with light blue eyes

Wildbird – mottled brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Snowstreak – pale tabby she-cat with light blue eyes

Silverclaw – scarred black tom with orange eyes

Harepelt – brown tom with brown eyes

**Apprentice: **Dustpaw

Runningflight – brown and white she-cat with amber eyes

Greendays – black tom with green eyes

Sootfrost – grey tabby she-cat with orange eyes

Weaseltail – light brown tom with green eyes

Shortleaf – small tabby she-cat with brown eyes

**Apprentices:**

Embertail – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Greypaw – white and grey tabby tom with blue eyes

Dustpaw – brown and grey she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

None

**Elders:**

Rosestar – red-brown she-cat with blind grey eyes

**MarshClan:**

**Leader:**

Riverstar – blue-grey she-cat with amber eyes

**Deputy:**

Frostfang – scarred white and black tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Medicine Cat:**

Blackwing – black and tan tom with green eyes

**Warriors:**

Greyclaw – scarred dark grey tabby tom with light blue eyes

Snaketail – tabby tom with brown eyes

**Apprentice: **Weedpaw

Fishsplash – blue-grey she-cat with black stripes and blue eyes

Brambletail – white and brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Apprentice: **Hollowpaw

Tawnyfrost – mottled brown she-cat with orange eyes

Hazeleyes – brown she-cat with one green eye and one brown eye

**Apprentice: **Pebblepaw

Fireleaf – tortoiseshell tom with light blue eyes

Ripplepelt – grey she-cat with light blue eyes

**Apprentice: **Sandpaw

Spiderbreeze – black tom with amber eyes

Duskfeather – bark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Cloudheart – white tom with light blue eyes

Mothdawn – black she-cat with white paws and green eyes

Brakenstep – brown tom with orange eyes

**Apprentice: **Seedpaw

**Apprentices:**

Weedpaw – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Hollowpaw – black tom with white ears and amber eyes

Pebblepaw – dark grey tabby tom with light blue eyes

Sandpaw – golden she-cat with orange eyes

Seedpaw – white she-cat with brown paws and brown eyes

**Queens:**

Daisyflight – white and ginger she-cat with light blue eyes

**Pregnant**

**TreeClan:**

**Leader:**

Wingstar – white and black tabby she-cat with light blue eyes

**Deputy:**

Lionglow – golden tom with light blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:**

Birdflight – black she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice: **Rowanpaw

**Warriors:**

Voledust –grey tom with white toes and amber eyes

Heatherears – light brown tabby tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice: **Shadowpaw

Crookedclaw – dark grey tabby tom with a broken paw and orange eyes

Birchfeather – tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes

Squirrelbranch – golden tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice: **Rosepaw

Nightfeet – white she-cat with black paws and amber eyes

Dawnstripe – grey she-cat with darker grey flecks and blue eyes

Cedarthorn – brown tom with orange eyes

**Apprentice: **Venompaw

Ravenmist – black she-cat with light blue eyes

Redtail – red-brown tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice: **Lightningpaw

Sparklepelt – white she-cat with blue-grey flecks and blue eyes

Skybreeze – blue-grey she-cat with orange eyes

Silentshadow – scarred black tom with light blue eyes

**Apprentice: **Swiftpaw

Wolfwhisker – grey and white tom with amber eyes

Tigerspirit – ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentices:**

Rowanpaw – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Shadowpaw – black and white she-cat with green eyes

Rosepaw – red-brown she-cat with blue eyes

Venompaw – golden tabby tom with black stripes and orange eyes

Lightningpaw – golden tabby tom with black stripes and orange eyes

Swiftpaw – grey she-cat with light blue eyes

**Queens:**

Patchdawn – white she-cat with orange eyes

**Pregnant**

Pepperfern – grey she-cat with brown eyes

**Kits:**

Pinekit – mottled brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Elders:**

Coldrain – scarred blue-grey tabby tom with white stripes and blind grey eyes

Blackgaze – black and white she-cat with brown eyes


	2. Prologue

Prologue

A full moon shone brilliantly in the sky, barely touched by wisps of thin clouds. Several cats flicked their ears and lashed their tails angrily, their bristling, star-covered pelts almost transparent in the moonlit landscape. One tom rose above the others and yowled loudly.

"We cannot control the Clans like this!" he hissed. "If they want to lead themselves to destruction, then let them!"

"Fennelstar, just because your Clan went extinct doesn't mean the rest have to follow that horrible path." A silver tabby tom meowed, remaining calm despite the fact that he was also outraged by StarClan's decision.

"So we are going to let a cat from another Clan _moons_ away from our own shape the destiny of our kin?" a white she-cat snarled. She paced back and forth, sheathing and unsheathing her claws. "That's not even right!"

"Willowstar, it's the cat's destiny. We cannot control her destiny – she has to mold it herself." A silver tom murmured. "All we can do is warn her of the omen."

Willowstar's fur began to flatten, and she sighed heavily. "Then it is settled; I will tell their medicine cat of the prophecy. From then on, it's up to the chosen cat to make her way to our kin and fulfill her destiny."

The white she-cat with stars in her fur raced away, her fur tingling with worry and a glimmer of hope.

* * *

><p>A blue-gray tom emerged from a sheltered den and nudged a sleeping tortoiseshell tom. The sleepy tortoiseshell jolted awake and rose to his paws. "Is she okay?" he asked the blue tom with a worried tone.<p>

The blue tom purred and flicked his ear toward the den. "Come see you're kits. They're beautiful," he reassured the father. The tortoiseshell opened his eyes wide and walked into the den. The blue tom followed.

A beautiful she-cat lay curled up, the moonlight reflecting off of her brown tabby fur, making it pale. She lifted her head once the two toms entered the den and purred, "Hello love. Come look at your kittens."

She swept her tail to the side, revealing two tiny kittens. There was a ginger tabby tom and a golden spotted she-kit. The father purred and licked both of his kittens. "What are we going to name them?" he asked the queen. She looked down at her kittens and acknowledged the tom.

"I want to name his Foxkit, for his felt. It reminds me of a fox," she purred.

"I think the she-kit should be named Leopardkit, because her pelt looks like the great cats described in the tales of LeopardClan," the tortoiseshell father mewed.

"Those are lovely names…" the blue tom's meow was cut short, and his eyes widened as he stared at Leopardkit.

"_She will be great: greater then all of the Clans combined, but her destiny will be shaken. Lightning will strike her heart, flames will claw her pelt, and water will steal her,_" the blue tom rasped. The two parents stared in terror as the cat recited the omen, and the tabby she-cat wrapped her tail protectively around her newborn kittens.

Once the blue tom's fur flattened and eyes became smaller, the queen meowed shakily, "What does it mean, Mossfur? What will happen to Leopardkit?"

Mossfur looked down at his paws and whispered, "I don't know, Flowertail. Her destiny lies in the paws of StarClan." He closed his eyes and remained silent for a few moments. Then, he meowed, "Never speak of this omen to her. She will find out in her own time."

The parents nodded warily as the moonlight faded away, and the den was covered in darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>Yayyy finanlly started this! :D I hope it turns out well...this was originally a sequel but the other story was bad. This should be pretty easy..if it gets confusing at times, I'll make an author's note explaining things.<strong>

**~Skyy**


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Leopardkit," a she-cat yowled, "Get down from there! You'll break something right before your apprentice ceremony!"

A golden kitten stood at the top of a large boulder, looking down at the ground with wide eyes. "But Mom, I can see the whole Clan from here!" she protested.

"I don't care! Get down right now or I'll get Skystar to cancel your ceremony, and let Foxkit become an apprentice before you!"

Leopardkit gasped loudly and jumped down rock-to-rock. When she landed on the ground, her mother rushed over to her and licked her furiously. She groaned and mewed, "Okay, Mom! I'm six moons old now and I'm not a baby."

"You'll always be my baby, even when you're a warrior," Flowertail purred.

"I'm not just going to be a warrior; I'm going to be the Clan leader," Leopardkit meowed happily. Her mother flashed a look of shock, but it faded into a cloudy stare.

"And who told you that?" Flowertail asked warily. Only she, Mossfur, Scorchfang, and StarClan knew of the prophecy that effected Leopardkit, and they swore not to tell her until the time was right.

"Uhm, nobody," Leopardkit tilted her head to the side with confusion. "I want to be leader."

Flowertail's eyes unclouded and she half-purred, half-sighed, "Come on, I'm going to get you and your brother ready for your apprentice ceremony."

* * *

><p>"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Skyrock for a Clan meeting!" Skystar called from the highest rock in the camp, called the Skyrock. Leopardkit bounded across the clearing to sit next to her mom and dad, Foxkit following more cautiously. Although Leopardkit was always full of energy, her brother was a bit more laid-back.<p>

"Leopardkit, please step forward," Skystar meowed, his grey fur shining in the bright newleaf sunlight. The kit ran up to the base of the Skyrock, her heart pounding with anticipation.

"Leopardkit, you have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Leopardpaw. I ask StarClan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior."

Skystar switched his blue gaze to a group of warriors and meowed, "Tigerwhisker, you are ready to take on an apprentice. Although your mentor was an unworthy warrior, I know StarClan has accepted you as a fierce, brave, and loyal warrior. You will mentor Leopardpaw. I expect you to pass on all of your knowledge on to her."

_Ugh,__ why__ that __annoying __furball?_, Leopardpaw thought as she touched noses awkwardly with the tabby tom. He was known in the Clan for being fierce in battle, but he was also very arrogant and bossy.

Next, Foxkit became Foxpaw, and Owleyes became his mentor. The Clan cheered loudly, "Leopardpaw! Foxpaw! Leopardpaw! Foxpaw!" Leopardpaw noticed that the two loudest yowls belonged to her parents, and she purred with pride.

_I__'__m__ a__ SunClan__ apprentice_, she thought with complete joy. _I__'__m __not__ some __dumb __kitten__ anymore,__ and__ I__'__m__ one__ step __closer __to__ becoming__ a__ warrior!_

A deep meow interrupted her thoughts, "Is my new apprentice ready for her first day of training?" Leopardpaw could tell that Tigerwhisker was being as arrogant as ever as he stood tall next to her, but she refused to bow down.

"Of course I am! After all, I'm going to be the greatest SunClan warrior ever." She stood as tall as she could, making an attempt to stand up to him although he was more than two times her size.

Tigerwhisker merely squinted his eyes and meowed stiffly, "I'd expect nothing less from my apprentice. Now follow me, I'm going to assign your first task." He ran away to the tunnel leading out of camp. Leopardpaw couldn't help but be impressed at his speed, and had a hard time keeping up.

When he finally stopped, Leopardpaw was out of breath. Tigerwhisker sneered, "Only kittypets get worn out on that trail, not the _best_ warriors!"

Leopardpaw continued panting and rolled her eyes. "What is my first task?" She remembered all of the stories Rockpaw had told after his first day as an apprentice. Leopardpaw and Foxpaw were still in the nursery, but could imagine the scenery when Rockpaw described his tour of the whole SunClan territory.

Tigerwhisker cuffed her ear and hissed, "Were you too busy lost in your thoughts to hear what I just said?"

Leopardpaw yowled with shock from the blow and backed away from her angry mentor. She recovered from the hit quickly and lashed her tail with anger. "Sorry for being excited on my first day as an apprentice," she growled sarcastically.

Tigerwhisker squinted his eyes and spoke again, ignoring her comment, "What I _said_ was instructions on how to gather fresh moss for the elder's bedding." He bent down and unsheathed his long claws to dig at a pile of moss until it was uprooted. "When you dig it up, be sure to keep it as clean as possible. Thunderscar won't appreciate dirty bedding." He then motioned to a patch of moss and instructed her to dig up enough to make a mouthful.

Once she dug up a clean batch, Tigerwhisker meowed, "Next, put it in your mouth and squeeze the water out. Don't make it uncomfortably dry, but if it's to damp then it'll make Thunderscar's bones stiff. He'll claw you for that!" He then demonstrated how to dry the moss, and Leopardpaw did the same.

"Now grab your mouthful and let's head back to the camp. After you give it to Thunderscar, you can grab a piece of fresh-kill. We'll train tomorrow before sunhigh," Tigerwhisker meowed before grabbing his mouthful and running off to the tunnel. Leopardpaw snorted, but grabbed her moss and padded after him.

_What__ an__ exciting __first__ day __as __an__ apprentice_, she thought sarcastically once she entered the tunnel into camp. _StarClan, __why__ did__ you__ give__ me __such__ a__ stupid__ piece __of__ foxdung__ for__ a __mentor?_ When she was inside of the camp, she walked toward the hollowed tree that was the elder's den. Thunderscar, a scarred pale tabby tom, was the only elder in SunClan. Skystar was almost as old as him, but his nine leader lives gave him the strength of a young warrior. Usually leaders only retired when they were on their last life and became the age of an elder, but Leopardpaw wasn't sure on how many more lives Skystar had left. She did know that if he lived longer, she'd have a better chance of becoming deputy after he died.

_Who__ am __I__ kidding,__ I__'__m __only __a __fresh__ apprentice__ who __hasn__'__t__ even __explored __the__ whole__ territory_, she thought glumly before greeting Thunderscar with a wave of her tail.

"Why hello there, young Leopardkit…I mean _paw_," Thunderscar meowed. "Is that moss for me?"

Leopardpaw nodded and set it down. "I'm not sure how to spread it into bedding, though," she looked down at her paws, embarrassed by her ignorance.

The old tabby purred an _mreow_ of amusement, "I'll demonstrate for you then." He stood up and used his paws to spread the moss, curving it in certain spots and flattening it into others.

When he finished, Leopardpaw dipped her head graciously. "I'm so sorry I made you do it for me…" She was interrupted by the elder's purr.

"It's not a problem, young one. I needed to stretch my legs anyway, seeing as I don't get out that very often anymore," he meowed. "I would fancy a mouse right now, however."

"Okay, I was just about to get myself some prey too!" Leopardpaw ran out of the hollow to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed the best looking mouse from the top. She ran back to Thunderscar and gave it to him, then grabbed herself a blackbird and walked into the apprentice's den – a cave carved into a boulder.

Leopardpaw sighed with relief when she saw that no other apprentices were in the den. She didn't want to hear them brag about their fun day; she was already miserable enough. She gulped up her blackbird and found an empty nest. She curled up, her exhausted muscles finally relieved, and fell asleep instantly.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay chappie 1! Not much to say...please critique! <strong>

**~Skyy**


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Leopardpaw opened her eyes, but was puzzled to see that she wasn't in the apprentice's den. Instead, she could barely see a thing. All she could make out were dark bare trees, dead grass, and eerie luminescent fungi. The apprentice gasped with shock when she saw that Silverpelt wasn't visible, and the moon was blood red.

_Am __I __in__ an __omen __dream __from__ StarClan?_ She wondered, _If__ so,__ then__ please __let__ me__ wake __up!_ She closed her eyes and hoped to wake up, but nothing happened. She walked forward, pricking her ears for signs of danger.

A hiss coming from above her caught her attention. Leopardpaw paused to sniff the air, but a menacing yowl confirmed her fears.

"Your silly training will have no use here!" Leopardpaw looked up and was frightened at the sight. A large flame-colored cat was lying on a tree branch. He had dirty fur matted and his long claws extended as if they had never been sheathed. His dark blue eyes were almost black in this dark forest, but when he grinned evilly at the apprentice, his yellow fangs shimmered.

"What is this place?" Leopardpaw challenged in a weak voice. _Please,__ StarClan,__ give __me __strength __if__ I__ have __to __battle__ this __evil-looking__ cat!_

The cat stood up on the branch and yawned, "It has many names. Some call it The Place of No Stars. I call it the Dark Forest." The orange cat bunched his muscles and jumped to the ground, landing perfectly. "It's for the cats that were rejected from StarClan," he spat.

_This__ cat__ truly__ is__ evil! _Leopardpaw backed away from the tom slowly, but he followed.

"What are you doing here, anyway? You're far too young to be in this place," he growled while stalking toward Leopardpaw.

"I…I don't know," she stammered. The small apprentice braced for attack as the large, broad-shouldered tom inched closer and closer. Finally, a loud yowl made him halt.

"Fireclaw, don't scare away our visitor!" Mysterious ice-blue eyes were the first thing Leopardpaw noticed when a magnificent golden tabby tom walked up next to her.

"But Lightningstar, she's trespassing," Fireclaw hissed, his eyes filled with hate toward the apprentice. Lightningstar didn't reply, but stared at the dark ginger tom until he slunk away into the shadows.

The golden tabby switched his icy gaze to Leopardpaw, who was shivering with cold and fear. "Don't be frightened, Leopardpaw. I won't let anything hurt you," he purred with a calm and reassuring voice.

"Who are you?" Leopardpaw asked. She was less frightened by this new cat. Her instinct said that he was trustworthy.

My name is Lightningstar, young Leopardpaw," he meowed. "I was the leader of your Clan before Skystar, but I am also your grandfather; your father, Scorchfang is my kit."

Leopardpaw remembered nursery tales of the leader before Skystar – a ruthless, cunning cat who nearly destroyed SunClan with his ambition. This cat, however, seemed different to Leopardpaw.

"Come and walk with me. We can talk better while moving; this place gets very cold," he meowed and walked away with his granddaughter at his side.

* * *

><p>A sharp claw prodded Leopardpaw's side and she woke up. "Get your lazy tail up, or Tigerwhisker will hang your pelt outside of the warriors' den!" Sunpaw whispered.<p>

"No need for claws, I'm getting up," Leopardpaw yawned and stretched her tired legs. Her body was aching as if she had never slept.

Sunpaw meowed, "Tigerwhisker asked me to tell you to meet him at the entrance to the camp before sunhigh. He said you should eat first because you'll need your energy for today."

Leopardpaw nodded. Once Sunpaw left, she licked the moss from her fur and walked into the camp clearing. Over by the fresh-kill pile, Foxpaw and Whitepaw were sharing tongues, eating prey, and basking in the newleaf sunlight. Leopardpaw grabbed a mouse and sat next to them to eat.

"So, how was your first day?" Whitepaw asked Leopardpaw cheerfully.

"Well…I got Thunderscar some fresh bedding," the golden spotted she-cat murmured embarrassingly and gulped her mouse down quickly.

"Oh…well, hopefully your mentor will have something more exciting for you to do today!" Whitepaw gave the younger apprentice a friendly lick on the shoulder. "Speaking of mentors, I'm supposed to meet with Goldenstorm to hunt. Bye!" She sprinted off. Leopardpaw noticed her brother staring at Whitepaw's pure white pelt as she ran into the tunnel.

"She's very pretty, Foxpaw," Leopardpaw purred amusingly.

"W…we're just friends!" he stammered.

Leopardpaw meowed with amusement, "And I'm a mouse. Well, I'm going to meet Tigerwhisker for training." She padded toward the tunnel that left in and out of camp, only to find that Tigerwhisker wasn't there. She snorted and sat down to wait.

_Lazy __furball__'__s __probably__ still__ asleep_, she growled to herself. She sat for several minutes until it was finally sunhigh. Before Leopardpaw could walk away, though, a large cat sprung onto her back and pinned her to the ground.

"The first skill of being a skillful warrior is to _always_ keep your senses keen for enemies," a familiar deep voice growled. The cat released her.

Leopardpaw sprang to her paws and arched her back, but her fur flattened and she hissed with annoyance when she saw that her attacker was Tigerwhisker. She opened her mouth to speak but he cut her off by running away. Leopardpaw followed, still furious by her mentor.

They ran until they reached a barren, rocky landscape. "Be careful not to tread on a sharp stone," Tigerwhisker called, but Leopardpaw's pads were already bloody. Tigerwhisker halted next to a large boulder and meowed, "This is the Stone Circle. Mentors and apprentices do battle training here." He jumped onto a pile of rocks, and then onto the top of the boulder. Leopardpaw didn't struggle on the climb due to her adventurous kithood, and then stood by her mentor. He nodded with approval. "Look down into the center of the rocks. The grass lets us train without injury, and the surrounding rocks help us execute special battle maneuvers."

Leopardpaw looked down at the clearing. Sunpaw and Moonpelt were battle training with Rockpaw and Torntail. Leopardpaw watched Rockpaw leap onto a large rock that was above Sunpaw and in a split second, land on his back and pin him down. Torntail called something to the young cats.

"Let's move on," Tigerwhisker mewed. He jumped down the same path that they came up, and continued running through the rocky cliffs. After a while, the terrain changed into grass and mud. Leopardpaw noticed a new form of rocks – long, smooth ones that bordered the river.

"This is Sunningrocks," Tigerwhisker said. "It's a great place to hunt, but MarshClan likes to cross the border during leaf-bare to hunt here. We constantly battle over the rocks, and they switch possessions often, but right now they're SunClan territory."

Leopardpaw made note of the territory and then they moved on. They ran once again through the rocks until they reached the forest. Tigerwhisker stopped and whispered, "Don't make a sound." He crouched down to the ground and crept forward with his ears pricked; he had smelled a mouse. He stalked across the forest floor silently. Once he was close enough to the mouse, he pounced and killed it with a quick bite on the back of the neck. Tigerwhisker motioned for Leopardpaw to come over and offered to share the mouse. Leopardpaw's stomach growled and ate her share gratefully.

"The next place we're going to isn't too far away, but it's probably the most important part of our territory." He walked quickly this time with Leopardpaw beside him.

_He__'__s__ not__ as__ bad__ as __I__ thought_, Leopardpaw thought while looking up at the brown tabby. His bright green eyes met hers for a moment, and then he smirked and broke into a sprint. _Well, __not__ so __bad__ for __an__ annoying__ furball__ at__ least!_ She laughed and chased after him.

The next stop amazed Leopardpaw. Four _huge_ boulders were standing aligned in a vast clearing. "This is the Great Rocks: the Gathering place where the four Clans meet every full moon to share news," Tigerwhisker meowed. "When you go to the Gathering, I'll give you more information of things you have to keep in mind while attending."

Leopardpaw couldn't wait any longer to attend a Gathering. _Hopefully __I__ can __go__ to__ the__ next__ one_, she thought with anticipation. She looked up at the Great Rocks and changed her thoughts.

_Never __mind,__ I__ can__'__t __wait__ to __become__ a __leader__ and_ speak _from __the __rocks!_

* * *

><p><em><em>**Sorry for taking forever to update. School is draining.**

**~Skyy**


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tonight was a full moon and the night of the Gathering. A quarter moon had passed through Leopardpaw's training, and she was already very good at everything.

Tigerwhisker walked toward her while she ate next to Foxpaw. "You'll both be attending the Gathering tonight," he meowed and walked away. Foxpaw caught Leopardpaw's eye and purred, "We're going to the Gathering; no way!"

"And we're still two new apprentices! What an honor," Leopardpaw cheerfully added.

Foxpaw looked down at his paws and meowed nervously, "What if a fight breaks out? I haven't had any battle training yet. Owleyes always has me patrol or hunt."

Leopardpaw couldn't agree that she had no battle training because Tigerwhisker was always training her. She sort of had two mentors; Tigerwhisker in the day, and Lightningstar trained her in her dreams. The weird part was how similar Tigerwhisker's moves were to Lightningstar's, yet nobody else in the Clan ever used the unique techniques.

Leopardpaw gave Foxpaw a quick, friendly lick and stood up when she heard Skystar call all of the cats that were going to the Gathering. They ran through the tunnel and across the rocky terrain into the forest. Because the Great Rocks were on SunClan territory, they had no trouble reaching the destination. Skystar stopped the group to talk to them about proper Gathering etiquette.

"Remember to _never _give away too much about our Clan. Also, don't make good friends because these are cats you will have to fight one day," Skystar meowed gravely. Leopardpaw could already smell the strange scents of foreign cats.

They walked into the clearing after Skystar finished speaking. Most of the cats split up to share news and gossip with the other Clan cats. Owleyes took Foxpaw to meet some other warriors, leaving Leopardpaw alone and awkward.

"Hi!" a black apprentice with white ears meowed. He padded over to Leopardpaw and greeted her. "I'm Hollowpaw of MarshClan. Who are you?"

His strong scent of fish was almost revolting, but Leopardpaw's curiosity kept her talking to him. "I'm Leopardpaw of SunClan."

Hollowpaw sat down. "Is this your first Gathering? I've never seen you before."

Leopardpaw nodded excitingly. "My brother and I became apprentices a quarter moon ago. Mistystripe, a senior warrior says that I'm the best fighter of my age."

Hollowpaw purred, "I prefer hunting, personally. I always beat the other apprentices, but it may be because my sister and I are the oldest." Leopardpaw was confused by that statement; Sunpaw and Whitepaw were the oldest apprentices in her Clan, and they were much larger then Hollowpaw. She assumed that the MarshClan apprentices were all a bit younger.

Hawkstar, the leader of IceClan, was the first to speak. He yowled loudly and the whole clearing fell silent. "Welcome, cats of all Clans! I will speak for IceClan first. Newleaf is treating our Clan well. Most of the ice and snow is melting, giving us plenty of water. We have a new apprentice – Dustpaw." The Clan cats cheered for the new apprentice. Leopardpaw joined in.

Next, MarshClan's leader, Riverstar, spoke, "Newleaf is a great time for every Clan, and we are thriving despite one threat: Twolegs. There are some Twoleg camps along the SunClan side of the river. I must advise you, Skystar, to keep your eyes on the area."

Skystar dipped his head. "Thank you, Riverstar. SunClan is enjoying the newleaf prey. We also welcome two new apprentices – Foxpaw and Leopardpaw!" The other Clan cats cheered. Leopardpaw purred when she saw Hollowpaw cheering her name louder than the others. _Too__ bad __he__'__s__ from__ MarshClan_, she thought sadly.

TreeClan's leader, Wingstar, didn't have much to say except that a fox had been killed on their territory. The TreeClan cats were always aggressive with the other Clans, and rumor was that most of their cats didn't believe in StarClan. Wingstar dismissed the Gathering and the leaders called their cats together. Hawkstar's light brown tabby tail flicked while he waited for his Clan to come together. Wingstar's pale tabby pelt vanished as she and her Clan padded away. Hollowpaw meowed a goodbye to Leopardpaw when his blue-grey leader, Riverstar, called her Clan. Leopardpaw stood next to her brother as they prepared to leave.

"Did you meet anybody?" Leopardpaw asked.

"Of course! I met some of Owleyes' friends – Eaglewind, Birchfeather, and Tawnyfrost. It's amazing to meet all of these cats," Foxpaw replied.

"Yeah, except we'll battle them one day," Leopardpaw growled. She couldn't help but to like Hollowpaw, however. He was so friendly to her although they came from different Clans.

_I __don__'__t __want__ to __fight __him __one__ day_, Leopardpaw thought as they ran back to the camp.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the short chapter but the next one is better, I promise!<strong>

**Review if you think Hollowpaw will be important! :D Or review anyway...xD**

**~Skyy**


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

A pair of amber eyes squinted and a golden tabby hissed. Leopardpaw met those eyes and pounced at the older cat. She knocked him over easily and prepared to take the final blow, but her opponent sprung up and jumped onto a rock. Leopardpaw braced herself for the attack, but when he jumped at her, she moved in a split second. The golden tabby crashed into the ground, meowing pitifully.

"No, no, no Sunpaw! Even a kit knows that you don't use the rock maneuver unless it's a sneak attack! Plus, you gave Leopardpaw too much time to prepare herself," Moonpelt chastised.

"Don't forget that my apprentice is also the best fighter," Tigerwhisker praised. Leopardpaw looked up at her mentor with admiration and purred. "Which is why I want to fight her."

Leopardpaw's blood ran cold. "Are you sure that's wise? She's still so young," Moonpelt warned.

Tigerwhisker only laughed and braced himself for an attack, glaring at his apprentice. Leopardpaw met his glare and leaped at him. He dodged the attack and ran away; Leopardpaw knew this move, because it was one of Leopardpaw's signature moves. He was about to turn around and hit her as a surprise. When Tigerwhisker turned around, Leopardpaw charged at him and caught him off guard. She sprung on his back and pretended to bite his shoulder. He attempted to fling her off, but she jumped off and landed on a rock. Within the same second she leaped off of the rock and brought Tigerwhisker to the ground, pinning him.

Moonpelt and Sunpaw were in shock. "Nice job," Tigerwhisker meowed and got back up to his feet, limping slightly. "You have the rest of the day to yourself." He limped out of the training area. Leopardpaw bounded away happily.

_I__'__ll__ go __hunting_, she decided. She ran all he way to Sunningrocks, then stopped and crouched down. She spotted a blackbird eating a worm on a rock. She stalked forward silently and extended her claws. The bird may have sensed her, but it was too slow when she pounced and killed it.

By the time the sun began to fall, she had caught a blackbird, robin, two water voles, and a mouse. She was preparing to leave when she heard a hissing noise; a snake was slithering between the rocks. She pounced after it, but it slithered into the river, causing her to slip in after it. Leopardpaw sunk beneath the water, causing her to choke. _I __can__'__t__ swim!_ She panicked and flailed her arms and legs. After what seemed like hours of struggle, her vision began to grow faint and she felt dizzy. Her movements slowly began to stop and she sank deeper and deeper.

She saw the blurry shadow of a cat coming toward her. _StarClan?_ The shadow grabbed her paw with its teeth and pulled her to the surface. Leopardpaw coughed and attempted to breathe, but she couldn't. The cat put her on the shore and pressed its paws to her chest, causing her to cough up water. The cat repeated the process until she gulped for air. Her vision cleared and she saw that her savior was Hollowpaw.

He purred with amusement, "Surely someone taught you how to swim?"

Leopardpaw groaned and rolled onto her side. "Thank you for saving me," she meowed in a raspy voice.

"I was coming to the river to fish when I saw you fall in. I had to swim over as fast as possible…you could have died," he whispered the last part.

"SunClan cats don't like the water that much. We aren't fish-breaths, like you," she purred in a joking manner.

"I can teach you to swim, if you want!" Hollowpaw meowed excitedly.

"Leopardpaw thought her heart stopped for a second. "Uhm, sure," she said shakily.

"Meet me in the reeds past Sunningrocks in three days around sunset," Hollowpaw said. "I have to go now, though. I'm sure your warriors wouldn't be too happy if I stayed. Bye, Leopardpaw!" The black and white MarshClan apprentice got back into the river and swam to his side. Leopardpaw watched him until he was gone, and then she walked back to camp, longing a good night's sleep. She couldn't wait to meet Hollowpaw in a few days!

* * *

><p>"What are you thinking?" Fireclaw hissed and swung a paw at Leopardpaw. She dodged it and yowled.<p>

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the golden she-cat snarled. "Where is Lightningstar? He's supposed to train me tonight."

"He's busy, so I'll be your mentor for tonight," Fireclaw growled. "Why are you meeting a MarshClan cat? He is the _enemy_!" He spat the last word.

"He's only teaching me how to swim, which is an _enemy_ tactic. If anything, it will only be better for me," Leopardpaw protested.

"There are plenty of former MarshClan cats here that can teach you how to swim. Plus, they know how to fight _in_ the water," Fireclaw hissed.

Leopardpaw _mreowed_ with amusement, "Is somebody jealous?" She was taken aback when Fireclaw lashed out on her and clawed her face. Blood dripped down from her cheek. "What was that for?" she screeched.

"_Never _mock me," Fireclaw spat. "Now, it's time for you to train."

Fireclaw taught Leopardpaw how to fight in trees – a TreeClan maneuver. Fireclaw was a TreeClan warrior before he died. Lightningstar's goal with Leopardpaw was to teach her all of the other Clans' moves so she would be the greatest fighter of all time. Surprising, there were lots of cats in the Dark Forest, and they seemed to be keen to teach the young apprentice. So far, Leopardpaw's favorite cat, besides Lightningstar, was Buzzardeye from IceClan. He was a big brown tabby with dark red eyes that mystified Leopardpaw. He had taught her how to fight on ice and snow, which was how IceClan warriors trained. They never invaded other Clans because of all of the territory they controlled. However, when other Clans attempted to invade, they couldn't match the IceClan warriors' skills on the frozen terrain.

When Fireclaw and Leopardpaw finished training, she returned to the real world. As usual, she woke up with a headache and her body was sore.

"Come on, Leopardpaw!" Foxpaw called from outside of the den. She sighed and padded into the morning sunlit clearing. She stood next to her brother and remembered why they were training together. Today was there first hunting assessment!

"What happened to your cheek?" Foxpaw whispered so that he wouldn't draw attention.

"I hurt it yesterday while hunting. A…rabbit clawed me," she lied. Foxpaw nodded, dropping the subject, although he could tell she wasn't being truthful. _Fireclaw __actually__ left __a __mark?_

Tigerwhisker and Owleyes approached the two apprentices side-by-side; Owleyes was Tigerwhisker's mother, so Leopardpaw could tell that she was excited to mentor alongside her son. "Today you will both have until sunhigh to catch as much prey as possible. If you show up late, you will be assumed to be cheating and will be punished," Owleyes meowed sternly.

"We will be watching the two of you," Tigerwhisker said with a hint of warning in his meow. He glared at Leopardpaw for a moment. She stared back, curious to know what his problem was.

"You may go," Owleyes instructed. Foxpaw and Leopardpaw raced out of the tunnel and split up in opposite directions to hunt. Leopardpaw hunted in the forest and managed to catch a mouse and squirrel within the first few minutes. She was stalking a chipmunk when a loud yowl startled her and scared the prey away.

Foxpaw bolted past her covered in blood. "MarshClan on Sunningrocks!" he screeched before passing out on the forest floor.

* * *

><p><strong>I like this chapter! Please review, because I'm reviewing myself at this point. <strong>

**~Skyy**


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Leopardpaw picked up Foxpaw by his scruff. "Get more warriors!" Tigerwhisker ordered as he appeared from behind the bushes. He sprinted toward Sunningrocks. Leopardpaw dragged Foxpaw through the tunnel and called for Mossfur. His blind apprentice, Rainpaw, came to them and put one paw on his bad leg. "I'll take care of him," she meowed in her misty voice.

One Leopardpaw left Foxpaw, she yowled, "Help! MarshClan on Sunningrocks!"

Skystar ran out of his den and called Mistystripe, Grasslegs, Ashcloud, Sunpaw, Torntail, Rockpaw, and Brokenclaw to go with him to Sunningrocks. Leopardpaw joined in on the group, excited for her first chance to really show off her battle skills. They ran through the rocky terrain to Sunningrocks to see Owleyes and Tigerwhisker fighting five MarshClan cats to the death. Both were covered in blood and in desperate need of backup.

"Attack, SunClan!" Skystar's battle cry sounded and they ran into battle. MarshClan's patrol didn't seem afraid that they were outnumbered, for another patrol joined in, making them easily matched.

Leopardpaw yowled when a larger she-cat jumped on her. She lashed out and bit the attacker's neck, pulling and twisting it. The she-cat yowled with pain. Leopardpaw released her attacker, who ran off to the river. The golden apprentice looked for her next opponent and found it – a tortoiseshell apprentice. Leopardpaw jumped on a rock and leaped off of it onto the apprentice's back. The tortoiseshell attempted to roll over, but Leopardpaw was quicker and got off of her. The, she clawed the soft part of the apprentice's leg, causing her to crumble to the ground. Leopardpaw slashed the tortoiseshell's back, and she screeched.

"Go back home fish-breath," Leopardpaw growled and knocked the bigger apprentice over.

"MarshClan, retreat!" Riverstar yowled and led her injured Clan into the river.

"Good job, Leopardpaw," a shaky voice meowed behind her. She looked and saw Tigerwhisker covered in blood. "It's from the other cats," he meowed when he saw his apprentice's shocked expression.

"Back to the camp SunClan,' Skystar called and led his Clan back home.

* * *

><p>"See what I told you?" Fireclaw hissed. "Your new friend was in that fight going <em>against<em> you and your Clanmates!"

"Well he didn't fight me," Leopardpaw meowed simply.

"Hush, Fireclaw." Leopardpaw sighed with relief when she heard Lightningstar, who was approaching the quarreling pair. "Let me handle this."

Fireclaw snorted and walked away, lashing his tail angrily. "Maybe you can teach this apprentice some common sense, seeing as you're the _smartest_," Fireclaw added icily.

Lightningstar rolled his eyes at the comment. "I can go rip his head off if you want," Leopardpaw growled.

Lightningstar laughed, "No, he's my brother and I can't afford to lose him, even though he's a burr in the tail."

"Why did you leave me with him the other night?" Leopardpaw questioned with a hint of anger in her voice.

"That's not important," Lightningstar meowed quickly, obviously hiding something. "What's more important is that MarshClan apprentice business."

Leopardpaw looked down at her paws with shame. "I just wanted to be his friend," she murmured.

Lightningstar put his paw on her shoulder. "I have no problem with it, Leopardpaw. Just don't let your feelings turn you away from your Clanmates, or distract you from your training."

Leopardpaw purred, "I won't, I promise!"

Lightningstar nodded his head with approval. "Now go back home, daylight is near and Tigerwhisker will want to train you today."

Leopardpaw began to pad away but she turned her head and meowed, "Was Tigerwhisker your apprentice?"

Lightningstar nodded, and Leopardpaw returned back to her nest.

The next two days passed and now it was time to meet Hollowpaw. Leopardpaw ate a mouse and ran out of the tunnel, saying that she was off to hunt. She sprinted all the way to Sunningrocks, then a little past it to some reeds. She sat in front of the river, hidden, and waited.

_I__ hope __he __isn__'__t__ mad__ about__ the__ battle_, she worried. Soon enough to calm her thoughts, Leopardpaw saw the black and white apprentice swim across the river. She ran over to greet him.

"Hey, Hollowpaw!" she meowed cheerfully. His expression, however, wasn't its usual welcoming look.

"You almost killed my sister!" he hissed.

"I…I didn't know she was your sister," she meowed with shock. _That__ tortoiseshell__ was__ his__ sister?_

"We can't meet like this," he growled. "It's not right. Plus, what if it was _me_ that you were fighting? Your Clan took a border squabble way too far and what you did to my sister wasn't honorable."

Leopardpaw felt tears swelling in her eyes, but she shook it off. "Well your Clan started it! My brother nearly died from the paws of one of your _warriors_. At least your sister can feel the shame of being beat by a younger apprentice. My brother stood no chance!" she yowled. Hollowpaw growled and lashed his tail. Leopardpaw snarled at him, "Get off of my territory!" He obliged and ran back to the river.

Leopardpaw was lived, but not because of Hollowpaw's discarding of her. She was angry at herself. _If__ I__ had __known __that__ the__ tortoiseshell__ was __his__ sister,__ then__ I__ would__ have__ never __done__ what__ I __did__ to__ her!_

* * *

><p><strong>Poor Leopardpaw :( I'm so mean to write this to her...lol<strong>

**Review...I don't own Warriors!  
><strong>

**~Skyy  
><strong>


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"All cats that are old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Skyrock for a Clan meeting!" Skystar yowled.

Leopardpaw helped her brother limp out of the medicine den into the clearing for the Clan meeting. He had received a nasty bite on the leg which made it difficult for him to walk. He was upset about not being able to train, but Leopardpaw always tried to stay positive; it helped her get Hollowpaw out of her mind.

"The day has come to name two apprentices as warriors. They have fought hard, hunted well, and have reached the end of their training. I, Skystar, leader of SunClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn.

Sunpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Skystar asked.

"I do," the golden tabby meowed.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sunpaw, from this moment you will be known as Sunstorm. StarClan honors your bravery and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan.

Whitepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Skystar asked.

She nodded. "I do"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Whitepaw, from this moment you will be known as Whitedew. StarClan honors your kindness and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan."

Skystar then jumped down from the Skyrock and pressed his nose to each of the new warriors' heads. "Tonight, you two will keep a silent vigil," Skystar meowed. The Clan cheered the new names, and then Skystar cleared his throat. "Also, Dovefeather is in the nursery pregnant with Tigerwhisker's kittens. Congratulations to the two parents."

After the ceremony, Whitedew padded over to Foxpaw and touched noses to him. "I'll miss being denmates with you," she meowed.

"At this rate I'll never become a warrior," Foxpaw said gloomily, pointing to his leg.

"Don't say that!" Leopardpaw protested.

"Yeah, if it weren't for you, we would have never known that MarshClan was trying to steal Sunningrocks," Whitedew mewed. "I thought you were very brave."

Leopardpaw left the two lovebirds and congratulated Sunstorm. Then, she went into the nursery to see Dovefeather, Tigerwhisker's mate and Leopardpaw's aunt.

"Congrats," Leopardpaw meowed cheerfully to her white-furred aunt. She noticed a scar on her side because of a battle between all of the Clans in the past. Leopardpaw wondered if it would affect the birth of the kits.

"Thank you, sweetie," Dovefeather purred and licked her niece on the cheek. Leopardpaw sat next to her aunt.

"What is it like, being in love?" the golden spotted she-cat asked.

"Why do you ask?" Dovefeather purred and Leopardpaw shrugged. "You know, Rockpaw has had his eyes on you for a while. I know you're young, but when you're older…"

"No, he's just a friend!" Leopardpaw interrupted, hot with embarrassment. The cat that she was thinking of wasn't Rockpaw. In fact, it was Hollowpaw.

"No need to get defensive," Dovefeather meowed and cuffed her niece playfully. "I'll just say that love is the most amazing feeling in the world…more amazing than your first prey kill or first battle."

"Okay, thanks. I'll see you later!" Leopardpaw mewed and left the nursery.

* * *

><p>Several moons had passed since the incident with Hollowpaw, and newleaf had turned into greenleaf. Leopardpaw had long since forgotten the MarshClan apprentice. Even when his new warrior name, Hollowstrike, had been announced at the gathering, Leopardpaw simply cheered along with the other Clans. She knew that if she thought about him too much, it would affect her training and devotion to her Clan.<p>

Her training sessions in the Dark Forest continued, but Leopardpaw noticed that other cats were training her more than Lightningstar. She had almost mastered all of the IceClan and TreeClan moves, but MarshClan ones proved to be more difficult because she was afraid of the water.

Redstar, a former MarshClan leader, was attempting to teach Leopardpaw how to swim. "It's simple; just out one paw in at a time," she meowed softly although her patience was shrinking. Leopardpaw put her paws in the water one at a time and gasped at how cold it was. She stood in the icy water for a few minutes, getting used to it.

"Now watch me closely," Redstar meowed. She got deeper into the water and moved her legs, keeping her head about the surface. _It__'__s__ like__ running,__ except__ in__ water_, Leopardpaw thought. She walked deeper into the water and followed what Redstar did. Much to her surprise, she was still above the water. _I__'__m__ swimming!_

She swam all the way to Redstar, who was waiting on the shore. "Good job!" the tortoiseshell praised. Leopardpaw got onto the shore and panted, shivering from the cold. "It's exhausting at first, but the more you do it, the easier it gets. You may go now," Redstar said.

Leopardpaw curled up and closed her eyes, returning to her nest. She woke up totally exhausted and still wet. She walked outside in the clearing, dried herself, and met with Tigerwhisker, who was pacing impatiently.

"What are we doing today?" she asked.

Tigerwhisker looked at her with worry in his eyes. "You'll train with Rockpaw and Torntail. Dovefeather is having her kits, so I'll stay in camp."

_Yay, __kits_, Leopardpaw thought happily. She walked over to Torntail, a red tom with most of his tail missing from an incident with a fox. She and Rockpaw followed him out of the camp. Leopardpaw usually trained with Rockpaw, the oldest apprentice, but she was better than him. Foxpaw was a brilliant hunter, but he was still emotionally scarred from his first battle, which caused him to not want to fight. Leopardpaw was worried that she would become a warrior before her brother.

The trio patrolled along the MarshClan border, marking their territory. Ever since the fight over Sunningrocks, the SunClan cats were very wary of their neighbors. They marked the border three or more times a day, rather then protecting the IceClan border.

After they patrolled, Torntail allowed the two apprentices to hunt freely. Rockpaw and Leopardpaw made a great pair in hunting, but she couldn't escape the feeling that the big grey tom liked her more than just a friend. She didn't feel that way for him; in fact, she didn't have feelings for _any_ cat anymore.

"Let's go after that hawk," Rockpaw whispered to her, interrupting her thoughts. She nodded and stalked forward. Rockpaw crept away in the opposite direction; he was going to kill the bird after Leopardpaw distracted it by using live bait. She tiptoed forward silently, and then yowled pitifully and fell on the ground. The hawk swooped out of the tree it was perched in, talons extended to grab Leopardpaw. Right as the large bird was going to get her, Rockpaw leaped out of the tree he was hiding in and bit the neck of the hawk, killing it quickly.

"That was brilliant," Leopardpaw purred. "This is enough to feed Dovefeather for moons!"

"Well, not _moons_," Rockpaw said bashfully.

"Let's get back to the camp. I want to see Dovefeather's kittens," Leopardpaw meowed.

Rockpaw picked up part of the hawk with his teeth, and Leopardpaw the other. They walked very close, and Leopardpaw noticed that Rockpaw's tail brushed against her side a few times. She ignored it and they strolled into camp, setting the hawk next to the fresh-kill pile.

"Nice job, you two!" Skystar praised the two apprentices when he saw the size of the hawk. "Leopardpaw, your aunt's kittens have been born. Go see them; they're lovely."

Leopardpaw sprinted to the nursery, but walked in cautiously. She gasped at the sight; four kittens, a black one, silver tabby, red tabby, and brown tabby squirmed around Dovefeather's belly, mewling with tiny voices.

Tigerwhisker was lying next to his mate. "Say hello to SunClan's four newest warriors – Ivykit, Silverkit, Applekit, and Turkeykit," he meowed with nothing but pure happiness.

"Hello, young ones. Welcome to the world," Leopardpaw purred and touched her nose to each small kit. _Things__ are __going __so__ well__ for__ the__ Clan_, she thought to herself. However, things could never be assumed in Clan life, and the prophecy still hung over her, although she did not know of it yet.

* * *

><p><strong>Hey guys! Thanks to starbomb and Trixygirl, my two reviewers! It's really appreciated that you guys like the story so much :)<strong>

**I'm going to be taking a break for a while on this to work on _A New Home_, my Lion King fic. I left this one off like the end of Book I i guess. **

**Until next time!**

**~Skyy**


	9. Alligences Updated

**Allegiances (Updated)  
><strong>

**SunClan**

**Leader: **

Skystar – grey tom with blue eyes

**Deputy: **

Moonpelt – white she-cat with green eyes

**Medicine Cat: **

Mossfur – blue-grey tom with orange eyes

**Apprentice:**Rainpaw

**Warriors:**

Mistystripe – grey tabby she-cat with amber eyes

Owleyes – brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice:**Foxpaw

Grasslegs – black tom with one white leg and brown eyes

Brokenclaw – scarred pale tabby tom with a broken tail and blue eyes

Goldenstorm – golden she-cat with green eyes

Runningfoot – white tom with black paws and light blue eyes

Tigerwhisker – dark brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Apprentice:**Leopardpaw

Ashcloud – scarred grey she-cat with black flecks and orange eyes

Scorchfang – tortoiseshell tom with blue eyes

Blackears – grey she-cat with black ears and paws and brown eyes

Mousenose – brown she-cat with amber eyes

Torntail – red-brown tom with a torn tail and blue eyes

**Apprentice:**Rockpaw

Flowertail – brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Sunstorm – golden tabby tome with orange eyes

Whitedew – white she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Rainpaw – blue-grey she-cat with light blue blind eyes

Rockpaw – bulky grey tom with green eyes

Foxpaw - ginger tabby tom with green eyes

Leopardpaw - unusually spotted golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Dovefeather – scarred white she-cat with light blue eyes

**Kits: **

Ivykit – black she-cat with green eyes

Silverkit – silver tabby she-cat with icy blue eyes

Applekit – red tabby tom with amber eyes

Turkeykit – brown tabby tom with dark blue eyes

**Elders:**

Thunderscar – scarred pale tabby tom with blue eyes

**IceClan**

**Leader:**

Hawkstar – light brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Deputy:**

Fangpelt – white and tan tabby tom with blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:**

Morningsky – light brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentice:**Embertail

**Warriors:**

Eaglewind – dark brown tabby she-cat with orange eyes

Brokentalon – scarred grey tom with brown eyes

**Apprentice:**Greypaw

Kestrelheart – light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Cinderpool – dark grey tabby she-cat with light blue eyes

Wildbird – mottled brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Snowstreak – pale tabby she-cat with light blue eyes

Silverclaw – scarred black tom with orange eyes

Harepelt – brown tom with brown eyes

**Apprentice:**Dustpaw

Runningflight – brown and white she-cat with amber eyes

Greendays – black tom with green eyes

Sootfrost – grey tabby she-cat with orange eyes

Weaseltail – light brown tom with green eyes

Shortleaf – small tabby she-cat with brown eyes

**Apprentices:**

Embertail – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Greypaw – white and grey tabby tom with blue eyes

Dustpaw – brown and grey she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens:**

None

**Elders:**

Rosestar – red-brown she-cat with blind grey eyes

**MarshClan:**

**Leader:**

Riverstar – blue-grey she-cat with amber eyes

**Deputy:**

Frostfang – scarred white and black tabby she-cat with orange eyes

**Medicine Cat:**

Blackwing – black and tan tom with green eyes

**Warriors:**

Greyclaw – scarred dark grey tabby tom with light blue eyes

Snaketail – tabby tom with brown eyes

Fishsplash – blue-grey she-cat with black stripes and blue eyes

Brambletail – white and brown tabby tom with green eyes

Tawnyfrost – mottled brown she-cat with orange eyes

Hazeleyes – brown she-cat with one green eye and one brown eye

**Apprentice:**Pebblepaw

Fireleaf – tortoiseshell tom with light blue eyes

Ripplepelt – grey she-cat with light blue eyes

**Apprentice:**Sandpaw

Spiderbreeze – black tom with amber eyes

Duskfeather – bark brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes

Cloudheart – white tom with light blue eyes

Mothdawn – black she-cat with white paws and green eyes

Brakenstep – brown tom with orange eyes

**Apprentice:**Seedpaw

Weedshell – tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes

Hollowstrike – black tom with white ears and amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Pebblepaw – dark grey tabby tom with light blue eyes

Sandpaw – golden she-cat with orange eyes

Seedpaw – white she-cat with brown paws and brown eyes

**Queens:**

Daisyflight – white and ginger she-cat with light blue eyes

**Kit:**Bluekit – blue-grey she-cat with amber eyes

**TreeClan:**

**Leader:**

Wingstar – white and black tabby she-cat with light blue eyes

**Deputy:**

Lionglow – golden tom with light blue eyes

**Medicine Cat:**

Birdflight – black she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice:**Rowanpaw

**Warriors:**

Voledust –grey tom with white toes and amber eyes

Heatherears – light brown tabby tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**Shadowpaw

Crookedclaw – dark grey tabby tom with a broken paw and orange eyes

Birchfeather – tortoiseshell she-cat with brown eyes

Squirrelbranch – golden tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Apprentice:**Rosepaw

Nightfeet – white she-cat with black paws and amber eyes

Dawnstripe – grey she-cat with darker grey flecks and blue eyes

Cedarthorn – brown tom with orange eyes

**Apprentice:**Venompaw

Ravenmist – black she-cat with light blue eyes

Redtail – red-brown tom with blue eyes

**Apprentice:**Lightningpaw

Sparklepelt – white she-cat with blue-grey flecks and blue eyes

Skybreeze – blue-grey she-cat with orange eyes

Silentshadow – scarred black tom with light blue eyes

**Apprentice:**Swiftpaw

Wolfwhisker – grey and white tom with amber eyes

Tigerspirit – ginger tabby she-cat with green eyes

Pepperfern – grey she-cat with brown eyes

**Apprentices:**

Rowanpaw – dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Shadowpaw – black and white she-cat with green eyes

Rosepaw – red-brown she-cat with blue eyes

Venompaw – golden tabby tom with black stripes and orange eyes

Lightningpaw – golden tabby tom with black stripes and orange eyes

Swiftpaw – grey she-cat with light blue eyes

Pinepaw – mottled brown tabby tom with amber eyes

**Queens:**

Patchdawn – white she-cat with orange eyes

**Kit:**Brownkit – brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Elders:**

Coldrain – scarred blue-grey tabby tom with white stripes and blind grey eyes

Blackgaze – black and white she-cat with brown eyes


	10. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Leopardpaw, Leopardpaw, look what I caught!" Applekit mewed happily and scampered over to his cousin. His red tabby fur was covered in dirt, and he was holding a grasshopper in his teeth. He dropped it at Leopardpaw's paws.

"Did you catch that all by yourself?" she praised. "They're very fast; I'm impressed."

"I'm gunna be the best hunter in SunClan!" he mewled.

"Well _I'm_ gong to be the best hunter in _all _the Clans," Ivykit boasted.

"I'm going to be the best hunter in the whole world!" Turkeykit exclaimed.

"Nuh-uh, you can't even catch a butterfly. You landed on your butt last time you tried," Silverkit teased. Turkeykit growled at her and pounced. Silverkit was quick, though, and dodged the tackle. Leopardpaw purred with amusement. _If only real life was that simple_, she thought.

Suddenly, a dark shadow covered the kittens and Leopardpaw. Tigerwhisker was standing behind them. "Daddy," Turkeykit whimpered, "Silverkit said I was fat!"

"Did not," she protested, ruffling her silver fur.

Tigerwhisker chuckled, "I hope you're not giving my apprentice any trouble. She's only babysitting you because she enjoys it, and if you mess it up, you'll be stuck in the nursery like normal kittens."

"They're little _angels_," Leopardpaw purred. "Look, Applekit caught his first prey."

Tigerwhisker nodded his head in approval, and Applekit puffed out his dirty fur with pride. "It's time for you four to get cleaned up and take a nap, though," Tigerwhisker said.

"No, can we please stay with Leopardpaw?" Ivykit begged.

Tigerwhisker shook his head. "No you can not. Go to your mother now," he commanded. The kittens sighed and padded away glumly to the nursery.

Leopardpaw looked up at Tigerwhisker. "What are we going to do today?"

"Well, I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but…you and Rockpaw are going to have a warrior ceremony today," he admitted.

_Rockpaw?_ "What about Foxpaw?" she asked.

"He's not ready yet. He needs some more time,' Tigerwhisker sighed. "Don't worry, he will become a warrior, but you show more potential than we've seen in a long time." He then stood up and walked toward the nursery. "Be ready by sunset."

Leopardpaw's brain swirled. _A warrior this young? Foxpaw is going to _hate_ me. He'll be the only apprentice for three more moons, when Dovefeather's kits become apprentices. _

She avoided Foxpaw for the rest of the day until sunset. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Skyrock for a Clan meeting!" Skystar announced.

Leopardpaw steeped out into the clearing and sat next to Tigerwhisker. She gulped when she saw Foxpaw next to Whitedew.

"We are gathering this evening to name give two apprenticed their warrior names," Skystar meowed. "Rockpaw, please step forward."

Rockpaw left Torntail's side and stood at the base of the Skyrock. "I, Skystar, leader of SunClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Rockpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Rockpaw nodded. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Rockpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Rockfoot. StarClan honors your strength and your determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan."

Skystar then looked down at Leopardpaw. "Leopardpaw, please step forward," he commanded. She froze up, and only moved when Tigerwhisker nudged her forward. Her amber eyes did not catch Foxpaw's green ones once.

"Leopardpaw, although you are young, you've shown that you match the skills of a great warrior. I, Skystar, leader of SunClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Leopardpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

She nodded half-heartedly. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Leopardpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Leopardfur. StarClan honors your fierceness and your agility and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan."

Skystar jumped down from the Skyrock and pressed his nose to each new warrior's forehead. They licked his shoulder in return. The whole Clan cheered their named, "Rockfoot, Leopardfur, Rockfoot, Leopardfur!"

Skystar spoke again, "Tonight they shall keep their silent vigil together, but I have another announcement. Until Dovefeather's kits become apprentices in three moons, the youngest warriors will help with apprentice duties along with their warrior duties." After that, the meeting was dissolved.

Foxpaw padded over to Leopardfur and meowed softly, "Congratulations. I knew it was only a matter of time before you became a warrior." He then walked away to Whitedew, who laid her tail on his slumping shoulders.

Leopardfur sighed sadly and joined Rockfoot at the entrance to the camp. _He'll never forgive me_, she thought. Rockfoot gave her a friendly smile, and they watched over the Clan for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Poor little Foxpaw...being left out just because he wasn't chosen to train in the Dark Forest like his sister :( But doesn't Leopardfur's name sounds familiar? :3<br>**

**I don't own warriors!**


	11. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When the sun rose and dawn broke, Moonpelt came out of the warriors den to relieve the two new warriors of their silent vigil.

Rockfoot yawned, "What a night!"

Leopardfur purred, "It was _so_ exciting, what with all the attacks on our camp."

"I'd do that every night if I could," Rockfoot said sarcastically.

Although the two thought their conversation was private, Brokenclaw, a senior warrior, heard them. "Don't complain you two, or I'll make sure that your have guard duty every night," he growled. Then he walked out of the camp leading the sunrise patrol.

Rockfoot stood up and began to walk away. "I'm off to make my nest, if you care to join me," he said. Leopardfur nodded and joined him. The made their nests close to each other on the outskirts of the den. They wouldn't be able to sleep in the center until they became senior warriors.

"Good night…or morning," Rockfoot yawned and curled up in his nest, falling asleep. Leopardfur fell asleep soon after.

* * *

><p>"Congratulations," Lightningstar purred, "A warrior at your age? What an honor."<p>

Leopardfur smiled, "Thank you. I have trained hard, just as you have taught me."

"Indeed you have, but you haven't yet become a warrior in the Dark Forest," he said. "You have a final test."

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"Follow me." Lightningstar ran off, Leopardfur following. After running for awhile, they stopped in a large group of cats. Lightningstar looked at Leopardfur with icy eyes, not like the warm light blue ones she was used to. "We have captured a StarClan warrior," he said and pointed to a bright cat that was being held down by two Dark Forest cats. He was like a star, shining brightly in the dark place. "He was a leader of MarshClan when I became leader. He allied all of the Clans against SunClan, and claimed the lives of many of our warriors. He does not deserve to be in StarClan," Lightningstar snarled.

"Don't listen to him!" the StarClan cat pleaded, "He is evil, and a traitor! He set loose a…"

"Silence!" Lightningstar screeched. "Your job, Leopardfur, is to end this StarClan cat. _Show no mercy_."

Leopardfur gulped, "Won't he just come back?"

Lightningstar said nothing and backed away. The two cats restraining the StarClan warrior released him. He stood up and shook his glowing fur. Leopardfur walked up to him, claws extended.

"Kill me if you wish, but StarClan will always remember what you did," he said. He didn't even growl or extend his claws, just stood up with dignity.

_I can't do this, there's no way_, she thought with panic.

"Do it!" Fireclaw snarled from the distance.

She took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. She then slashed her claws across the cat's throat. He gasped, and disappeared.

"Well done," Lightningstar purred.

"What happened to him?" she asked with a weak voice.

"When you kill a cat here that was already dead, they disappear completely," he said.

_They're gone forever? What cat would deserve that kind of death?" _she thought.

"You are now a full warrior of the Dark Forest. Welcome, Leopardfur." Lightningstar touched noses with her. She almost cringed at the realization that she was a murderer, just like the rest of the cats here. "In the next few visits, I will fill you in on all the plans we are making. As for now, you can return back to your Clan."

* * *

><p>When Leopardfur woke up, she was nauseated. <em>I killed a cat…no, I <em>destroyed _a cat! _To her left, Rockfoot was gone. She looked outside and saw it was sunset.

"Leopardfur!" Goldenstorm, a pretty yellow she-cat, called. "Skystar is leading a hunting patrol and he wants you to be in it."

She sighed and walked with the golden warrior to the exit of the camp. Normally, she would've been excited to go on her first patrol as a warrior with the leader, but she was too ashamed about her actions the night before. They ran out of camp, but she was heavy on her paws.

"What's wrong, Leopardfur?" Goldenstorm asked.

"You look like you've seen a ghost!" Mousenose purred.

She closed her eyes and remembered the night. "You have no idea," she muttered. The pain of her deed became unbearable, but she pushed through the rest of the day in silence, not uttering a word to any cat. She knew the murder would haunt her for the rest of her life.

* * *

><p><strong>:3 Intenseness going on here!<strong>

**~Skyy**


	12. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Over the next few days, Leopardfur got little to no sleep. The cat she killed prowled inside of her mind; his dying gasps and the Dark Forest cats' maniacal laughing made her shiver. After three days of torment, her dreams changed.

One night, she was a ghost over her sleeping body. Lightningstar appeared, but as a shadow with glowing blue eyes. "Do not regret what you have done. It was a brave deed, not a merciless murder," he purred in a charismatic voice.

"I've never killed another cat before, let alone _destroy_ a cat!" She screamed, surprised that the sleeping cats in the warriors den did not wake. "How is that justified? I no longer have a place in StarClan. They'll never accept me as a warrior."

Lightningstar sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "_We _will rule the StarClan cats after not too long, not those glittery dream-walkers."

Leopardfur tilted her head. "What do you mean?" she questioned.

Lightningstar jumped onto one of the ledges in the den and perched. His eyes squinted into thin icy slits. "All will be revealed in good time, young one. But I must tell you something, something that StarClan has kept from you. Your parents, leader, and medicine cat have sworn to never tell you by StarClan, but I am a separate cat and fear that you will go your whole life without knowing this." He cleared his throat, the growled in a strange voice, "_She will be great: greater than all of the Clans combined, but her destiny will be shaken. Lightning will strike her heart, flames will claw her pelt, and water will steal her__._"

Lightningstar's words made Leopardfur's head spin. "What goes it mean? Who is the cat in the prophecy?"

Lightningstar smiled menacingly, flashing his pearly fangs. "StarClan and the cats you love have made you live a lie by keeping this from you. The cat in the prophecy is _you_, Leopardfur."

* * *

><p>Leopardfur woke up with a jolt. <em>Me? He must be mouse-brained…I'm nothing special, just a good fighter. <em>To clear her head, she ran out to the river. The late greenleaf sun scorched her fur, so she sat down on a ridge in the shallow part to cool down. She looked down at her reflection, surprised at how different she looked. Her fur was dull and shaggy, not its usual sleek self. Her bright amber eyes lost their luster and looked bloodshot. She looked more like an elder than a new warrior from all the burdens carried on her.

_What if I just jumped into this river and drifted away_, she wondered. Laughing at the crazy thought, she stood back up and tried to walk out of the river, but slipped on a mossy rock and lost her footing. The current dragged her into deeper waters, too strong for her to swim. She yowled out of desperation.

_StarClan save me!_ Suddenly she saw a black and white shape drawing closer – a MarshClan cat! To her surprise and relief, it was Hollowstrike.

"Hold still," he grunted as he grabbed her by the scruff. She obeyed without hesitation and allowed him to carry her back to land.

When they were both safe from the water, he shook her fur and growled, "Don't you ever learn? SunClan cats and water do not mix!"

"I know how to swim," she coughed.

"Like a newborn kit, then," he sneered.

That comment struck Leopardfur like a snake. She had swum in the Dark Forest River, where the water was nearly ice. _This arrogant MarshClan warrior has no idea what I've been through with my training! _"I just panicked, that's all. If you came here to insult me, then why did you save me?"

Hollowstrike sat down and licked his paw. "I couldn't just watch another cat die," he said softly.

Leopardfur was surprised by his sudden change in attitude, and felt guilty. She could watch another cat die without hesitation, even if it was her making the kill. Hollowstrike was pure at heart, not a cold-blooded murderer like Leopardfur. "Well…thanks," she purred. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he saved her life twice from careless mistakes, but she couldn't help but remember her previous feelings for him.

He nodded, and then ran back to the edge of the river. "Not every MarshClan cat wants to help a SunClan cat, so be careful Leopardpaw," he warned.

"My name is Leopardfur," she corrected him.

"Congrats," he murmured, and then swam back to his side of the border.

Leopardfur sighed and stared at him swim back with grace. She wondered how swimming came so natural to him, while she still struggled after months of training. _No, I cannot still have feelings for him! He rejected me and he's not in my Clan. Why can't I just find love in my own Clan, like Rockfoot? _

She stood up, shook her fur, and then looked back across the border one last time. What she saw shocked her; Hollowstrike was nuzzling a black she-cat with white paws. Leopardfur's blood boiled and she snarled. Unable to cope with the jealousy, she began running.

She didn't run back home, or even in her territory. She just ran and ran to escape the images in her head. She saw herself ripping out the other she-cat's throat in front of Hollowstrike to make him suffer. Next, she moved onto his imaginary kits and ripped their heads off. Hollowstrike pleaded for her to stop, but the bloodlust caused her to race into the MarshClan camp and slaughter every cat. She imagined killing his family, friends, and everybody else he loved in front of the black tom. In the image, she laughed like a maniac, licking the blood off of her paws, and smiling while she killed.

Leopardfur stopped in her tracks. _What am I becoming?_

* * *

><p>Over the next few weeks, Leopardfur began changing. She was no longer an enthusiastic apprentice, but a bitter warrior. She no longer cared about loyalty or compassion; neither did she care about herself. A monster, fueled by resentment and anger, grew deep inside of her.<p>

Her Clanmates began to notice the changes, but were too frightened to bother her about it. She attempted to keep in isolation as much as possible so she wouldn't lash out, but she still had warrior duties.

As her nightly visits to the Dark Forest grew more frequent, her mind clouded over even more. She felt evil urges more occasionally, and her bloodlust grew stronger. The Dark Forest warriors were still reserved about their plans to conquer StarClan, but she knew they would tell her in good time.

A few moons after Leopardfur's warrior ceremony, leaf-fall was beginning. With the changing seasons, she also changed for the worse. Any time some cat tried to ask her about her problems, she would either scare them off or ignore them.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Skyrock for a Clan meeting!" Skystar called one evening. The SunClan cats left their dens for the meeting, including the reluctant Leopardfur.

"Tonight there will be two ceremonies. First, we will have a new warrior join us. Foxpaw, please step forward," the grey leader announced.

Foxpaw bounded forward, his tail twitching with excitement. "I, Skystar, leader of SunClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Foxpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Foxpaw said.

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Foxpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Foxfur. StarClan honors your wisdom and persistence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SunClan."

While the other cats called out the new name, Leopardfur sat away from the crowd with watchful eyes. She didn't speak a single word for her brother.

Next, Skystar made Dovefeather's kits into apprentices. Turkeypaw, Applepaw, and Silverpaw were apprenticed to Mistystripe, Scorchfang, and Flowertail.

"Leopardfur, you will mentor Ivypaw. Teach her your fierceness that you learned from Tigerwhisker," Skystar said and gave her a stern look, causing her to stand up and walk into the crowd. She touched noses with her new apprentice, feeling a jolt of excitement. _Do I really deserve this_, she thought.

The Clan called out the new names, and then the meeting was adjourned. "What are we going to do first?" Ivypaw asked. A strange sense of déjà-vu hit Leopardfur while she remembered her simple life as an apprentice. Now she was the wise mentor with the innocent apprentice.

Leopardfur felt a new sense of hope. Her apprentice was a young life that would help pull her out of the dark tunnel of evil. "Let's go explore the territory," she said and ran out of the camp. Ivypaw followed, but her small legs made them slow down.

Leopardfur showed her the whole territory, just like when Tigerwhisker showed her seasons ago. When they passed the river she sighed sadly, looking at the distance with remorse. _I bet he has a family now, with beautiful kits_, she guessed. Only Ivypaw was able to break her attention. They explored and toured the land until sunset, then headed back to camp to rest for the night.

* * *

><p><strong>Sadistic much? Normally I would go into detail with her emotions but I decided not to...there will plenty of emotions later.<strong>

**Read and review!**

**~Skyy**


	13. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A week after Leopardfur became a mentor, she remembered the prophecy. She decided to think it through one evening while Ivypaw was caring for Thunderscar. _"She will be great: greater than all the Clans combined, but her destiny will be shaken." Well that is obvious. "Lightning will strike at her heart…" What could that mean? Should I be wary of thunderstorms, or...no, impossible. "Fire will claw at her pelt…" Does that mean SunClan is in danger of a fire? "And water will steal her." Does that mean MarshClan will abduct me? Or will Hollowstrike have something to do with my destiny? _The thoughts swirled around in her head, making her dizzy. She shook her head with frustration. _Why can't I just be normal, and not have this prophecy weighing me down?_

She looked across the camp and saw Foxfur nuzzling Whitedew. She looked away with disgust, but noticed Dovefeather and Tigerwhisker sharing tongues across from Ashcloud and Torntail. The previous feelings of jealousy anger rose in her stomach, but she shook it off.

Instead of brooding, she went to the elders den to check on Ivypaw. The black apprentice was lying next to her brother, Turkeypaw, while Thunderscar told them a story. "So there it was - the biggest fox I've ever seen. He must've…oh, hello Leopardfur," the elder greeted. "The apprentices finished their work and asked me to tell them a story or two."

"May I join you?" Leopardfur asked and sat next to her apprentice. Thunderscar nodded. "Of course young one!" Then he continued the tale of the fox king he encountered as an apprentice.

After he finished, Leopardfur asked, "Can you tell us the story of Lightningstar?"

Thunderscar closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "He was my friend once, and my leader. It was ill fate that caused the accidents to happen…he was not always evil. Years ago, when he was a new warrior, Lightningheart became close with his half-brother, a TreeClan warrior named Fireclaw. Nobody thought anything of it at the time, but they were secretly plotting together with their combined ambitions. It was not meant to be evil, but that is what it eventually turned into. They planned to cause a battle between each Clan – SunClan against MarshClan, IceClan against TreeClan. Fortunately, the war between IceClan and TreeClan was stopped before it could take place with the exile of Fireclaw, but that was after Lightningstar became leader.

"Lightningheart began a battle with MarshClan after Grasslegs' apprentice, Ashpaw, got severely injured by a patrol. He claimed that StarClan sent him a dream that MarshClan would try and conquer SunClan, which was a lie. During the battle, SunClan lost an apprentice, our deputy, and our leader. Crowstar was killed by Lightningheart, but he made it seem like a MarshClan cat did it. Mothwind, the deputy, made Lightningheart the new deputy right before she died. Nobody knew of his treachery, so we welcomed him as out leader.

"After he became the leader, Lightningstar murdered his half-brother, Fireclaw, in order to keep his secrets safe. However, as time went on, tragedy after tragedy struck. Lightningstar's sister Snowbreeze was killed by a Monster, and several cats died from greencough. Snowbreeze was also my mate." He paused for a second, and then continued, "The only good thing at the time was the birth of Lightningstar's kits – Moonpelt, Scorchfang, Dovefeather, and Blackears. MarshClan grew more hostile with us, and during a patrol, Lightningstar killed one of their warriors. At the next Gathering, all three Clans attacked SunClan to stop the tyrannical leader. Many of our cats lost their lives during that bloody night, but Lightningstar only lost one of his lives.

"Over the next several moons, Lightningstar went mad with bloodlust. His ambitions controlled him, not his loyalty. We stopped all communication with the other Clans. Even our medicine cat was not allowed to meet the other medicine cats during the half-moon. More border patrols were added and we had less time for hunting. Our warriors even fought amongst ourselves." Thunderscar pointed to his paw, which was missing a toe. "I lost that in a fight with Leafripple, a warrior almost my age. Anyways, Skypelt, now Skystar, was the deputy and disagreed with how Lightningstar was acting. We plotted to overthrow him, and managed to take one of his lives after we heard of his _plan_. Lightningstar had recruited a creature that was bigger than anything I've seen in my life, so he could slaughter the other Clans. We took one of Lightningstar's lives during the rebellion, but he managed to kill Leafripple's kit in the process. After the rebellion ended, Lightningstar ran away. We found his bones in the cave where the beast he recruited lived when we went to exterminate it."

_He is not the cat I thought he was_, Leopardfur thought.

"Isn't he our grandfather?" Turkeypaw asked in a weak voice.

"Yes, but the Clan know and trust his kin. After all, his brother is our beloved leader Skystar, and his daughter our deputy! You and your family are not to blame for what one cat caused," Thunderscar purred, but with a stern voice.

Leopardfur dipped her head with respect at his kind words. "Thank you for the story, Thunderscar. Ivypaw and Turkeypaw, you are free to go eat and rest for the night. Thunderscar, have you had dinner?"

"Still as generous as always," the elder purred. "Yes, I have, but now I'm going to rest for the evening."

* * *

><p>Leopardfur trudged through the Dark Forest, angry about her realization. She was not an evil cat based on her blood; the evil cats in the Dark Forest were just influencing her to act differently. Lightningstar has no right to tell her what was right and wrong.<p>

As she walked, she heard two cats talking in hushed tones. She recognized Lightningstar, but not the other. Quickly as possible, she jumped into a nearby tree to spy on the conversation.

"But father, you know it was wrong of StarClan to hide the prophecy from her. By telling her, she now realizes how corrupt those starry warriors are," Lightningstar whispered.

"And by telling her, you do realize she knows who she is? She knows now how powerful she is," the other voice growled impatiently.

"No, she's too mouse-brained and ignorant," Lightningstar sneered. Leopardfur held back a snarl.

"From my observations, I think you're wrong. I think she is capable of many things. If she lives up to the prophecy, she will be able to take over StarClan or _us_, depending on how she is influenced," the other cat stated.

"I've kept her hanging on our plans, but should I just go ahead and tell her?" Lightningstar asked. "I can manipulate her to believe in our cause instead of siding with StarClan."

"She's smart, but easily manipulated at this point. Most young cats don't have a proper mindset for themselves until they get a little…experience," the other cat laughed cruelly. "She needs to prove herself to me before we tell her anything in detail."

"Yes, Icefang. What do you have in mind?" Lightningstar asked.

"Tell her to meet us at the training field. Once there, _I'll _tell her of the task. You will not interfere," Icefang said, and then ran off. Lightningstar ran toward the entrance to the Dark Forest. Leopardfur jumped out of her tree and ran silently toward her grandfather.

_He thinks I'm an idiot! Well, I'll prove that fox-heart wrong. I'll pass this test, and then report straight to Skystar. I'm not an evil cat_, she thought while running.

Once he was in view, she called out to him. "Where have you been?" Lightningstar questioned.

She shrugged. "I got bored with waiting so long, so I went to explore for myself," she lied.

He squinted his eyes, but said nothing more on the subject. "Come with me, we have a little test for you. If you pass, you will rise very quickly in our ranks, and we'll answer any questions you have." She agreed and followed him to the training clearing. Whatever the task was, she knew she had to pass it if she wanted to spy on the evil cats.

When they reached the clearing, she saw a large cat sitting next to Fireclaw. He was blue-grey with jet black stripes and striking icy blue eyes. _This is Lightningstar and Fireclaw's father! _"Welcome, Leopardfur. I am Icefang, the leader of the Dark Forest," the cat meowed. Leopardfur's mind filled with questions, but she pushed them aside.

She dipped her head with respect. "Tonight you will prove your loyalty to me. You will fight Fireclaw," he commanded.

Fireclaw grinned and jumped at Leopardfur. She dodged the attack and sprung at him, tearing his back. He yowled, but retaliated and bit her paw. His powerful jaw clenched and she felt the bones breaking, yet the pain only made her angrier. She used her back paws to kick Fireclaw against a tree, and then she tackled him to the ground. She used her good paw to tear his stomach to the point where he could not fight back. The flame colored tom gasped and laid still, breathing softly.

Leopardfur looked over to Icefang, whose expression hadn't changed. "Well?" she asked.

"You're not done," the blue tabby stated in a bored voice.

"What do you mean? The fight is over; Fireclaw cannot fight. He is too weak," Leopardfur growled with impatience.

Icefang grinned evilly. "He is too weak to be a warrior here. Destroy him."

Leopardfur was shocked. "But he's you son…" she protested, but Icefang interrupted her.

"No son of mine is weak! Kill him or I'll kill you and him!"

His harsh tone and evil smile made Leopardfur realize Icefang's true intentions. He knew she would not kill his son, and he knew she would fail. _Well I'll prove him wrong_. She walked over to Fireclaw and grabbed his neck in between her teeth. The injured tom struggled, but she bit hard and crushed his windpipe. His body went rigid, and then disappeared forever.

_One less evil in the world_, she justified.

Icefang's bored expression changed into shock. Lightningstar's mouth was wise open with disbelief. The Dark Forest leader's expression went back to normal, though, and he said, "Welcome to your new rank, General Leopardfur."

* * *

><p><strong>Wooohoooo for stories of the good ol' days! I love Thunderscar 3 I actually wrote a story about Lightningstar's life before this one, but it was too bad to publish. Perhaps one day I will revise it for this website.<strong>

**~Skyy**


	14. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Skystar," Leopardfur called. "May I speak to you?"

"Enter," Skystar said. Leopardfur limped into his den, her paw still in pain from the fight. Once she had returned from the Dark Forest, she ran straight to Skystar; running was not her best plan, however, as it caused her extreme pain. She was planning on telling Skystar everything about the Dark Forest.

"What happened to your paw?" Skystar questioned. "You need to see Mossfur right now."

"I will after I tell you what I came here for," she said, and then paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. "I've been training in the Dark Forest since I was an apprentice. I've trained with your brother, Lightningstar, in my dreams. I never saw any harm in it until now…" she paused and looked down at her paws in shame.

"I could call you a traitor," Skystar stated, "But you wouldn't be here now if you didn't seek redemption."

"I don't want redemption for I do not regret my training," she said firmly. "However, I want to change the way I've been training; I want to be a spy for StarClan. I will never find forgiveness for the sins I've committed, but I am free to shape my destiny to how I see fit. I am a General in the Dark Forest now – a top ranking member. I can find out things that can help us and StarClan."

Skystar looked at her curiously. "How much do you know of your destiny, Leopardfur?"

"I know of the prophecy, and I also know that both the Dark Forest and StarClan fear my power," she explained.

"The prophecy was delivered to Mossfur when you were first born. Ever since then, we let the events unfold until you found out for yourself. You are the hope to save StarClan, but you could also be the end of them," Skystar said. "I am not an ignorant kit and I knew you had been in the Dark Forest…the signs were obvious. Mossfur also knew they would tell you the prophecy, but we hoped that you would come to us about it rather than letting your ambitions take over. That is the reason I gave you an apprentice; Ivypaw will help you control yourself."

"She does distract me lately," Leopardfur purred.

Skystar nodded. "Continue your business in the Dark Forest. Gain their trust, but also keep the prophecy up in the air. Let them think you understand it, because nobody but StarClan knows the true meaning. All the Dark Forest cats know is that you are more powerful than any cat in existence."

Leopardfur's eyes grew wide. _More powerful than any cat in existence? He must really trust me to tell me that_, she realized. She thanked her leader with respect and limped out of his den to see the medicine cat. Mossfur was out of camp, but his apprentice, Rainstorm, was in the den.

"Hello, Leopardfur," she said when Leopardfur walked in. Although the blue she-cat was blind, she had very good senses. Even with her back turned, she was able to sense Leopardfur walking in.

"Greetings, Rainstorm. Could you look at my…"

"Broken toes in your paw," the small she-cat interrupted without even turning her back. She then padded into the storage room.

_Can she read minds? _Leopardfur thought. She sat down and waited for the medicine cat apprentice for what felt like ages. She licked her bad paw, which was throbbing with pain.

Rainstorm returned with a bundle of herbs in her mouth. She sat down net to Leopardfur, chewed up the herbs, and rubbed them on Leopardfur's paw. Then, she wrapped it with cobwebs.

"You won't be able to do any warrior duties for a few moons," Rainstorm said. "I won't coop you up in here, but no battle training, hunting, or patrols allowed. Also, no Gatherings for you. I would suggest giving Ivypaw to another warrior to train while you're confined."

Leopardfur sighed a thank you, and limped out of the medicine den. Ivypaw was already waiting for her.

"What happened?" she questioned.

"I broke my paw while hunting last night. The rabbit hole just appeared out of thin air," she purred. "Come with me."

They walked slowly to the warriors den. Leopardfur prodded Rockfoot awake. "Wha…? Oh, Leopardfur! What is it?" he purred until he caught a glimpse of Ivypaw and cleared his throat.

"I need you to train Ivypaw for me," she said. "I broke my paw and I cannot train for a few moons."

Rockfoot blinked with surprise. "Of course." He stood up, shook his fur, and yawned, "Come on, Ivypaw, we'll go practice hunting." The pair left the den, bidding a farewell to Leopardfur.

* * *

><p>For the next moon, Leopardfur was unbelievably bored. She couldn't do anything but lay around and get fat while every other cat went out to train and take care of the Clan. The Dark Forest cats even kept her away until she recovered. She felt like a kit with an overprotective mother, only worse.<p>

All of the warriors were sympathetic for her, which she hated. She wanted to be out in the forest and among the rocks where she belonged, not confined in the camp. She didn't even have kittens to play with, or _anybody_ to do anything with. Worst of all, she missed the Gathering.

Leopardfur paced back and forth in the warriors den one afternoon, limping slightly, when she noticed Rockfoot walk in. "Hello," she greeted impatiently and sat down.

He laughed, "You wouldn't be more bored if you were locked in a cage! It's obvious you don't need to ever be a kittypet - you would go nuts!"

She scowled at him. "Where is my apprentice?"

"Training with her siblings and Skystar. I thought we could go for a walk," he suggested. "Not too far, of course." The last comment was a friendly sneer.

She growled and batted his ear with her good paw. "I'll take that as a yes," he laughed and walked away. Leopardfur followed, thankful to stretch her legs some.

After they left the camp, they ran through the trees for a bit at a slower pace. Leopardfur ignored the pain in her paw because she was enjoying all the sights and smells she missed. Once Leopardfur began to notice the aching in her paw, they stopped at Sunrocks.

Rockfoot sprawled across a rock to sunbathe. "Being a warrior is pretty great, huh?" he purred.

_Except when you have a prophecy weighing down over your head_, she thought, but replied with a yeah.

The sun shone on Rockfoot's thick grey fur, and Leopardfur suppressed a purr. The large warrior caught her eye. "You can come lay down beside me. I don't bite…much," he purred. She obliged to the offer and curled up beside him.

"I'm really glad you chose me to mentor Ivypaw while you recover," he said.

"I wouldn't choose anybody else, hunting partner," she purred.

Rockfoot nuzzled his head under her chin. She let out a warm purr with content, not fully understanding why it came out. Not that she cared much, anyway.

"I really like you, Leopardfur," he said.

"I do, too," she replied. They laid together for the rest of the day, talking about various subjects until sunset. They walked back home, tails entwined.

* * *

><p><strong>One more chapter then I'm going to take a break and wrap up A New Home! Also, I have an idea for a new story about my character from Skyrim...but I'll finish A New Home first.<strong>

**~Skyy**


	15. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

After four moons, Leopardfur returned to the medicine den, hoping for good news.

"No, you cannot return to training Ivypaw," Mossfur said bluntly.

Leopardfur was astonished. "What do you mean? My paw is healed!" she snarled with impatience and flexed her paw to prove her point.

Mossfur purred, "Isn't it obvious?"

She shook her head. "Quit fooling with me, medicine cat, and just let me go be a mentor."

He laughed, despite her mocking tone. "You're pregnant! Have you really denied it this long, or are you just mouse-brained?"

Leopardfur had been experiencing some stomach pains, but she had ignored them. She also thought her extreme weight gain was due to lying around in camp all day. "I really just didn't know," she replied.

"You can mentor Ivypaw, just _no_ physical battle training allowed. Stock to instructions, not demonstrations," the medicine cat told her.

"Thanks!" she purred and ran out of the den, but cautiously. She did not want to harm the little kittens growing inside of her.

Right outside of the den was Rockfoot and Ivypaw. "Well?" Ivypaw asked.

"Go to the entrance and I'll be there in a minute," Leopardfur instructed. The black apprentice ran off.

"I take it you're off the hook?" Rockfoot asked.

"For now, but first I have to tell you something," she said, masking the extreme excitement built up inside of her. Then, she let it out. "I'm expecting kits…_you're_ kits."

Rockfoot's eyes grew wide. "No way! Wait…you're not joking? I'm going to be a father?" he asked quickly. She nodded happily. "I'm going to be a father!" he exclaimed and ran off to spread the news.

Leopardfur sprinted to meet with her apprentice. "Are we going to battle train? I perfected the move you showed me before you got hurt," Ivypaw asked excitedly.

"I'll take you battle training, but I'm not allowed to fight myself," she said. When she saw the confused look on her apprentice's face, she broke the news. "I'm expecting kits."

Ivypaw's eyes flew open, just as Rockfoot's had. "Wow!"

Leopardfur purred, "Race you to the training field!" Then, she sprinted off with Ivypaw following.

* * *

><p>That night Leopardfur walked by Rockfoot and Ivypaw to the Gathering. It was her first one since injury, and she was desperate for some sort of drama or action. She honestly wanted a fight to satisfy her itch for violence.<p>

"Last time we came, I met an apprentice from IceClan! They sound so funny, and they're huge!" Ivypaw babbled. "Oh yeah, the TreeClan cats look like squirrels!"

"Didn't you know that they basically live in the trees? I think their camp may be in an oak," Leopardfur joked.

"The IceClan cats eat mountain cats for supper," Rockfoot laughed.

"No way," Ivypaw gasped.

"Just like the MarshClan cats are part fish. They have to be in the water for at least three hours a day, or they'll suffocate," Leopardfur purred, but stopped when she remembered Hollowstrike. She had never told Rockfoot about her crush on the black warrior. She hoped to avoid him at this Gathering to avoid an awkward relationship.

"Who's part fish?" Turkeypaw ran over and asked.

Leopardfur was about to say something when Skystar stopped the group to give a speech about Gathering etiquette. The SunClan cats listened quietly, and then walked into the clearing. Leopardfur sat next to Rockfoot underneath a tree, and the apprenticed ran off to talk to some IceClan cats.

After a bit of socializing time, Skystar stepped forward on his boulder. "Welcome, cats of all Clans. SunClan will begin the meeting," he called out. "We have little to report. Although leaf-bare in beginning, prey is still very abundant in our territory." He stepped back.

Hawkstar of IceClan spoke next, "There is a wild mountain cat killing prey along the border with TreeClan. Wingstar, if you see this beast or any traces of it, send a few warriors to our camp immediately. I will warn you though, _never_ travel alone while this monster is alive. He is dangerous."

Wingstar dipped her head. "Thank you for the warning. We have little to report except that this unusually warm leaf-bare has kept our prey from hibernating."

Riverstar walked forward to speak, her jet black fur bristling slightly. "Our warrior, Mothdawn, would like to speak," she said. A black she-cat with white paws walked to the base of the rock. She seemed vaguely familiar to Leopardfur.

"I have seen a SunClan cat on our side of the border hunting our fish," she yowled. "Then, when one of our warriors went to stop her, she attempted to drown him!"

All of the SunClan and MarshClan cats jumped up, hissing at each other. A few swung unsheathed claws. "Silence!" Skystar yowled loudly, his voice echoing off of the trees. Every cat fell silent. "Who did you see, Mothdawn?" He asked.

"Leopardfur! She tried to drown Hollowstrike!" the black she-cat hissed. At that moment, Leopardfur realized who this she-cat was. _That's Hollowstrike's mate! _Leopardfur's eyes grew wide as every cat at the Gathering turned their head to face her.

"Is this true?" Skystar asked.

Leopardfur gulped. She did not want the truth of her almost drowning to come out, for it would reveal too much about her and Hollowstrike. However, she was left with no choice. "No, Skystar. I was on _our_ side of the border when I accidentally slipped into the river while cooling off from the sun. Hollowstrike saved me from drowning, and I never tried to drown him!" she yowled for everybody to hear. "Although, I was very scared, and the way I struggled could make any passerby think we were fighting."

"Of course she is lying!" Riverstar interjected. "Every cat in our Clans knows that she tried to kill Weedshell when they were apprentices. Drowning her brother could be revenge for not being able to tear out the poor cat's throat!"

Skystar sighed, "Hollowstrike, are these accusations true?"

The black tom emerged from a group of cats. "She tried to kill my sister before. She stole prey from our territory and tried to kill me. She is lying, there was no accident," he lied.

Leopardfur's blood boiled. She jumped up, claws extended. "You are a dirty liar! I was drowning and you saved me. Are you denying that I'm admitting you are an honorable cat and I am a senseless kit? I never stole any prey, you flea-ridden…"

"Silence, Leopardfur!" Skystar hissed. "SunClan, we are leaving." He jumped down from the rock and padded away. The SunClan cats followed, Leopardfur in the back. Rockfoot attempted to walk with her, but she told him to leave her alone. Everybody's gaze stuck on her with daggers in their eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>Well Leopardfur got the drama she wanted all along, eh? Just not the way she wanted.<strong>

**I'm going to take a break from this story for awhile to work on other things. Once I start working on it, though, I'll be wrapping it up. I'm still working on how I want to end it.**

**~Skyy**


End file.
